12
Courtland
A sudden rush of nerves slams into me as we enter the judge's chamber.
I've been fine all day, fine since Dad and I had that heart-to-heart at Thanksgiving really. I'm a grown man, so maybe I shouldn't care as much as I do, but I like knowing he supports me staying in Clovelly for six months and not diving straight back into medicine in Boston.
But as Buzz, Howie, the other guy, and I enter the dated room—I'm talking beige walls and fluorescent lights—the enormity of what Buzz and I are doing hits me.
Up until this point, I'd been focusing on the why. And it's a damn good why. I want to keep the inn in my family. Plain and simple.
But now we're up to the how part, and I hadn’t really thought about how this would feel.
It's not an item on a to-do list we're checking off. I'm marrying my best friend in the world. The guy I'm secretly in love with. And he's doing this for me because that's the kind of amazing person he is.
This is hitting me way harder than I thought it would…even with the bad lighting.
The Notary Public is a middle-aged woman with short, silver hair and sensible shoes. Howie and the other guy have taken a seat behind us.
"Are you ready to begin?"
she asks, looking between us.
Buzz flashes a smile, showing no signs of doubt or wanting to back out of this. I definitely picked up on something back at the inn, but whatever that was is entirely gone now.
"I'm good,"
he answers decisively in that low, rumbling voice of his.
He sure is.
I'm glad we decided not to go formal and are just wearing nice clothes we feel comfortable in. His cream sweater stretches across his chest and looks so soft, so inviting, I just want to bury my head in it.
She turns to me.
I cough lightly into my fist.
"Yep. Ready when you are."
"Excellent. We’re gathered here today to witness the joining of Courtland Dean Matthews and Brock Lightyear"—she pauses, smiles, catches herself, then moves on—"in lawful marriage. Do you, Courtland, take Brock to be your lawfully wedded spouse? To love, honor, and support them, in good times and bad, for as long as you both shall live?"
Whoa.
We've just gone from zero to sixty in less than three seconds. I didn't think it would be a long ceremony, but I expected it to last longer than a sneeze.
But it's not like I can do anything about it now.
"I… I do."
"And do you, Brock, take Courtland to be your lawfully wedded spouse? To love, honor, and support them, in good times and bad, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do,"
he rumbles.
My core heats.
"By the authority vested in me by the State of Maine, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss."
Kiss?
That they keep?
I close my eyes, not necessarily wishing for the ground to open up and swallow me whole, but I wouldn't be entirely mad if it decided to.
In all the years we've known each other, Buzz and I have never kissed. Not even once. Our first kiss can't be here.
It should be on a summer's picnic, or watching the sun set over Frenchman Bay, or literally any place on the planet other than in a dreary judge's chamber.
But again, what can I do about it now?
First, I get a whiff of the cologne Buzz put on today, then I feel his warm breath fanning across my cheeks.
I blink my eyes open, and Buzz's face fills my entire vision.
His straight brown hair, neatly styled and gelled to the side.
His familiar sky-blue eyes that are zeroed in on me.
That square chin that's only grown broader and more angular with age.
He melts into a blur when his lips land on mine, his arm sweeping around my back.
Lip contact lasts for no more than a few seconds, but the moment he pulls away, my entire body goes cold.
I stare into his eyes, my heart swimming in my throat until the Notary Public breaks the spell.
"Congratulations to you both."
I pull back slightly.
"Uh, thanks," I mumble.
She ushers us over to a desk for Buzz and me to sign the marriage license. Then Howie and Zane sign as witnesses, and shit, I must be out of it if I'm using the other guy's name.
"Be good to my brother,"
Howie says, smiling even as he almost crushes my fingers with his deadly handshake.
Zane hugs Buzz—totally inappropriate on my wedding day, if you ask me—and tops it off by doing something even worse.
He hugs me.
I freeze.
Seeing my face, Buzz lifts a finger into the air and suggests.
"Let’s go grab a drink to celebrate."
Howie looks at his watch.
"It's ten thirty."
"Uh, okay… Change of plans. Let's go to the diner for pancakes."
"Now that I can get on board with,"
Howie says, beaming, even though he's probably wolfed down a huge breakfast already. I have never seen anyone put away food like he does. If he hadn't shared a womb with Buzz, I'd have my doubts about him being human.
Buzz threads his arm through mine and pulls me away from the others as we head out.
"Thanks for being cool with the hug."
"Of course,"
I say, loving how his body feels against mine. I'm not going to let a measly hug from Zane ruin our day.
"You feeling okay?"
"I am. You?"
"Yeah. I think so."
He pulls me in even tighter.
"Congratulations, Court. The Clovelly Inn is now officially yours."
"I still have to stay in town for six months, remember?"
"Oh, I do."
He glances over at me and chuckles deeply.
"Now we're married, I'm going to lock you down. No way in hell I'm letting you get away."